- The diverted LOT flight had 181 people on board.
- The Wizz Air flight from Bergamo to Sofia carried 176 passengers.
- Coast guard specialists were expected to inspect the ship at 9.30pm.
At least seven flights across Europe faced bomb threats on November 3, 2026, and all landed safely. Searches found no explosives. The Italian Air Force escorted a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Rome; a cruise ship in Greece faced a separate alert.
The ship, Crown Iris, was not the aircraft escorted by fighter jets. It was searched at Syros after a caller claimed an explosive device was attached to its hull. Further inspections were expected before its voyage could resume.
No one was injured. Authorities had not identified who made the threats or established whether they were connected.
Seven routes brought alerts from Warsaw to Sofia
The reported flights covered Poland, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria:
- LOT from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin, diverted to Warsaw Modlin, with 181 people on board.
- SAS from Copenhagen to Warsaw Chopin, where it landed as scheduled.
- Ryanair from Lisbon to Rome Fiumicino.
- Ryanair from Dublin to Rome Fiumicino, escorted by Italian fighters.
- Ryanair from Manchester to Murcia, Spain.
- Wizz Air from Bergamo to Sofia, carrying 176 passengers.
- Ryanair from Dublin to Sofia.
The Bulgarian transport ministry identified the Bergamo and Dublin flights as the ones targeted on routes to Sofia. Both aircraft arrived safely.
Airport checks found no explosives and disruptions eased
Modlin temporarily suspended operations after the LOT flight diverted, then reopened. Passengers were evacuated and screened. Modlin spokesman Adam Szablowski said: “The passengers were evacuated and the plane underwent security checks. Nothing was found.” LOT said passengers would travel by coach to Chopin after border control.
Chopin closed one runway while staff checked the SAS aircraft, but the airport stayed operational. The plane landed on schedule, and the inspection found no device.
At Rome's Fiumicino airport, authorities checked both Ryanair aircraft, passengers and luggage. The inspections were negative, the alert was cleared and airport operations continued normally.
Aena, Spain's airport operator, confirmed it activated an emergency protocol after the alert on the Manchester flight. Accounts differed on whether the arrival at Murcia was an emergency landing. Spain's Civil Guard found no explosives, and the airport returned to normal activity.
Bulgarian authorities also said searches of both Sofia-bound planes found no devices. The initial count of reports grew from four to at least seven as more flights were identified.
Authorities have not identified who sent the alerts
Airport and transport officials confirmed individual incidents, including Modlin's notice about the LOT flight and the Bulgarian ministry's identification of the two Sofia routes. Aena confirmed its response at Murcia. Those statements establish where alerts were handled, but not who sent them.
Authorities had not said how the threats were delivered or whether the separate incidents were linked. The seven reports do not establish that they came from a single source.
Further ship inspections were still expected in Greece
At Syros, an explosives detection dog and a diver searched the Panama-flagged vessel after the hull claim. It was scheduled to sail to Haifa with 940 passengers and 597 crew members.
Initial checks found no explosive device. Coast guard specialists were expected at 9.30pm, 7.30pm GMT, to continue inspections before the voyage could resume. Passengers affected by the flight or sailing delays can check current status with their airline, airport or cruise operator.
